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Tonight sees two quarter-final matches in the Friends Life t20 competition. The Somerset Sabres host the Essex Eagles followed by the Sussex Sharks taking on the Gloucestershire Gladiators down at Hove.
There will be plenty of international stars on show in both games with a home draw proving the biggest advantage at this stage of the competition. For the Somerset Sabres, they are looking to progress to their third finals' day in three seasons.
The Sabres are hoping their captain, talisman, and England legend Marcus Tresocthick will be passed fit after recently returning from a three-month absence. The firepower of England one-day wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter will be key as he looks to continue his recent fine form, having scored back-to-back centuries in both Championship and CB40 games.
Essex will have their own international players to call on though. Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara have been released by England to play for their county as we face a break ahead of the second Test match against South Africa next week. Bopara will be looking to carry on his good form with the bat from the recent series against Australia and his medium-paced bowling can also prove useful.
The second quarter-final at Hove should also be a tasty affair. The Sharks welcome back Matt Prior, also released by England, and will hope he can produce the scintillating power-hitting that saw him score 81 off just 37 balls against Hampshire earlier in the competition.
Luke Wright and Michael Yardy, who were both part of England's ICC World T20 winning squad, will also be important players for the hosts. Gloucestershire will be able to call on one of the greatest players in the history of the game in Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 800 Test wickets for Sri Lanka, and will be looking to guide the Gladiators to their first finals' day since 2007 when they lost in the competition's climax to Kent.
So with stars of the modern game lighting up all four teams on show tonight, the results will likely come down to key moments in the game and the added support of the home crowd. For these reasons, Sportsvibe predicts two home victories with the Somerset Sabres and Sussex Sharks progressing to the finals' day from their respective quarter-final clashes.
